Kayleigh McEnany Says Trump’s Opposed to Renaming Military Bases Because It Would Say They’re ‘Inherently Racist’

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed on Thursday that President Donald Trump is opposed to renaming U.S. military bases named after Confederate generals because it would tell soldiers “that the institution they left was fundamentally and inherently racist.”

After being asked by a reporter why the president “is so opposed” to renaming military bases named after Confederate figures, McEnany said, “Because if you change the name, what you are saying to the men and women who left those forts, who died for this country in many cases, you are telling them that the institution they left was fundamentally and inherently racist because of the name that is on it.”

“The president doesn’t stand for that proposition, he wants to respect our military, and that’s where he stands on this,” she continued. “He made it very clear yesterday.”

Another reporter then shot back, “You know the argument there though is that these are individuals — these ten generals — are individuals who essentially betrayed their country and led military forces to kill American soldiers to support slavery. That isn’t saying that the bases are racist, it’s just saying that it was a bad idea naming those bases for Confederate generals when there are people like Pershing, and Patton, and others who are American generals who served honorably.”

McEnany replied, “Where the president stands is he believes these bases are most notably identified by the heroes within it, by the acts they did, and winning two world wars, and defeating anarch… defeating fascism across the globe. That’s what these bases stand for, not the names on them.”

“So he doesn’t want to change the names, he’s vehemently opposed to that, and also as I noted yesterday, where do you draw the lines?” McEnany questioned. “Are we to remove from history George Washington? Are we to remove Thomas Jefferson? Are we to remove FDR? Where do we draw the lines? That’s where the president stands and that’s what his thoughts are.”

Watch above via C-SPAN.